#bitterness

It is only hope which is real, and reality is a bitterness and a deceit. ↗

— William Makepeace Thackeray

#bitterness #deceit #only #real #reality

From the very fountain of enchantment there arises a taste of bitterness to spread anguish amongst the flowers. ↗

— Lucretius

#anguish #arises #bitterness #enchantment #flowers

Bitterness: anger that forgot where it came from. ↗

— Alain de Botton

#bitterness #forgetfulness #anger

When it comes to world news, attitude is what marks the distinction between justice and vengeance. Justice is pure, but vengeance brings more ruin. ↗

— Criss Jami

#bitterness #correction #distinction #hatred #instigation

He said you were the only one who was bitter about S.'s suicide and the only one who really forgave him for it. The rest of us, he said, were outwardly unbitter and inwardly unforgiving. ↗

— J.D. Salinger

#death #family #forgiveness #suicide #death

A cynical modification of letting go doesn't bring forgiveness, it's when, once you forgive, will you be able to let go. ↗

— Anthony Liccione

#cynical #forgiveness #letting-go #sugarcoat #forgiveness

No," I say. "I didn't know that," and as I say it I feel flooded with bitterness at all the things Ingrid kept secret from me. ↗

— Nina LaCour

#friendship #regret #suicide #friendship

Everythin' seems ter happen ter you, doesn' it? ↗

— J.K. Rowling

#jealousy #jealousy

If you ever feel to express proper gratitude for the good things of this life, be sure that you express your gratitude for the right thing. Very likely you will not have a great deal of gratitude, and you must not waste any of it but what you do have will be of the most excellent quality. For it will accumulate, and the accumulation will all go to quality. And the things for which you are to be grateful are the bitternesses you have known. If you have had it in mind ever to give way to bursts of gratitude for this air that comes from off the salt sea, for that line of pearls and violets that you see just above the horizon, for the health of your body, for the sleep that comes to you at the close of the day, for any of those things, then get rid of the idea at once. Those things are quite well, but they are not really given to you. They are merely placed where any one can reach them with little effort. The kind fates don't care whether you get them or not. Their responsibility ends when they leave them there. But the bitternesses they give to each person separately. They give you yours, Mary MacLane, for your very own. Don't say they never think of you. ↗

— Mary MacLane

#fates #gratitude #life

I know I am flaky, I accept that—and I know, as well, that I can mangle the good king’s English like no one else in my or the next ten governesses’ acquaintances, but that will not prevent me from speaking! I may not be as wise as you in the ways of the world, I may not have wounds that run as deeply or scars to wear upon my chest like medals of valor, but at least I don’t retreat and hide the moment a soul comes within reach of my fingers! ↗

— V.S. Carnes

#fear #love #romance #love